Simple cheap video chat between my computer and relative's computer

Factual Questions
1

I am trying to set up a webcam at my house and one at my sister-in-law’s house. I am looking for the most straightforward no-nonsense way of doing this.

I am somewhat overwhelmed with the plethora of hits one gets on this subject in Google. Based on those results, It appears to me that all webcams are used for is for folks to prance about in their altogether.

I did a search here and found many hits, but none answered my question (as far as I could tell).

So, my questions:

  • What software do I need? Is there freeware that can do this?

  • Recommended hardware?

  • Do I need an intermediary service, or can this be done directly (like VNC does)?

  • Security issues?

We both run XP and we both have broadband connections (with different providers).

2

MSN messenger has a video chat facility.

3

Indeed it does!

That’s exactly what I’m looking for, and it was right under my nose all of the time. Thanks!

Is there any reason why I wouldn’t want to use Windows Messaging for video chat (drawbacks?)

Any tips from other users (e.g. tricky config settings)?

4

Caution: If you have a firewall, such as a router, at one end, then things get more complicated. A router at each end, real problems. The video conferencing standards used by NetMeeting type programs didn’t think of this. (Complete idiots.)

Other programs avoid this. I use Yahoo! Messenger to videochat with my less technically inclined relatives.

You are confusing webcams and video phone/chat/conferencing.

In my experience, the video part becomes a pain real soon, but the free long distance phone part is a win.

5

I hope it isn’t that bad.
I just set up MSN Messenger between two machines on my home network and was able to successfully see my cat on video from the other room. Of course, since the machines are local, this just says that the video made it through Zonealarm on both ends, but doesn’t tell me if the router will give me problems. I’ll find out tomorrow when I go to her house.

I read an MS faq that mentioned turning on UPnP and setting up the router to allow UPnP. Not sure I want to do that.

While we’re on this, does anyone know the real difference between MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger? Even MS gives conflicting reports (e.g. one site says you cannot run MSN-M on XP – WM is for that; the other site says that MSN-M and WM can be run side by side).

Hopefully it’s clear now that I’m not interested in intermittent snapshots ftp’d to a web site. I want video chat.

6

Yahoo messenger allows cam use too. And its free.

7

Yahoo Messenger has video too. I mainly use it for voice chat with my mom, though. It has some kind of “Super” mode, which I suppose is higher frame rates when both ends are broadband. Never used it.